Weather on Saturday

Athene V30

Athene V30

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20 Sep 2001
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Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria in Winter, the boat
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As some at the Fitting Up Supper may have gathered, my sail from Pin Mill to Bradwell was 'interesting' with a spell with the boat almost on her port side and green water pouring into the cockpit. Tabatha was fairly close at the time but have yet to tell me the rough distance from the tip of my mast to the sea.

Just had a look at Walton and Frinton Life boat's weather data and they recorded the highest gust this month of 43mph at 1132, about the time I washed the cabin windows and cockpit.

I know it is only a gust but 43mph is 37knots and the mean speed of a F8. Clearly I had too much sail up!

The sail back today was lovely. Sorry for those heading south, other than Bru - you get the same sympathy back you gave me on arrival at Bradwell :p
 
We were just across the Spitway when the worst of the Saturday wind passed over us. We went from 22 to 22 knots on the windex to a sustained 32 to 35 knots (our windex doesn't respond rapidly to gusts so i've no idea how much worse the gusts were)

We too had too much sail up for that with only one reef in but I managed to luff up whilst dumping the mainsheet enough to keep things from getting too wild whilst we got a second reef in. We really did have a cracking day, we weren't making it up :D

However, Sunday we decided was not on for gettiing back into the Crouch. Wind over tide in the Whitaker in a near gale wasn't at all appealing so we stayed put and left early on Monday morning. By that time there wasn't enough breeze to even bother with sails and we motored all the way back in a near flat calm!
 
Erbas said:
However, Sunday we decided was not on for gettiing back into the Crouch. Wind over tide in the Whitaker in a near gale wasn't at all appealing so we stayed put and left early on Monday morning. By that time there wasn't enough breeze to even bother with sails and we motored all the way back in a near flat calm!
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'Am I bovered thow'? Face bovered? :p
 
I was towing a barge laying moorings in the Blackwater. If B row isn't in a straight line, I might be tempted to blame the winds - but the team on the barge know their onions and I think they're like pretty maids... all in a row! Sunday was considerably nicer I have to say.
 
Erbas said:
However, Sunday we decided was not on for gettiing back into the Crouch. Wind over tide in the Whitaker in a near gale wasn't at all appealing so we stayed put and left early on Monday morning. By that time there wasn't enough breeze to even bother with sails and we motored all the way back in a near flat calm!
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Almost wish I had followed your example, although I wouldn't have had enough fuel to motor the whole way! I got past the Maplin before the tide turned in my favour (but against the 30 knot+ wind) and by the time I reached the Thames/Medway channel it was kicking up 2m breakers, genuinely some of the hardest conditions I've ever tried to sail into.
 
Triassic said:
Almost wish I had followed your example, although I wouldn't have had enough fuel to motor the whole way! I got past the Maplin before the tide turned in my favour (but against the 30 knot+ wind) and by the time I reached the Thames/Medway channel it was kicking up 2m breakers, genuinely some of the hardest conditions I've ever tried to sail into.
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Makes me glad we decided to stay put!
 
There was a time, (well most of it really) when I wished I had stayed in the Marina for another night. I have never been out in such a steep chop in my boat before. But with about 1/2 the Genoa and similar of the furling main I made good tacks up river along with the aid of the flood tide. Gps recorded 11.35 miles back compared to 7.3 miles on Saturday.

A 38 knot gust made the wind gen scream, then make a big end knocking noise before locking solid. Subsequent investigations show that the internal magnets broke up with the centrifugal force. (To be honest it looks like they were repaired in an earlier life, about which I was unaware, and the Araldite (!) holding them to the the internal spinning disks could not take it.

Anyway back to the trip, why is it that the wind is on the nose all the way up the river to Osea, you then make a right turn to head to Heybridge and guess what the wind is still on the nose. Grrr

Still I proved to myself that I can tolerate lumpiness and that my wet weather gear does the job I bought it for.
 
Erbas said:
Must admit that as we waved you on your way I thought to myself "rather him than me"!
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You are far too polite in your comment.

Yes I could detect your enviousness as I motored by, this was of course underscored by the muttering no doubt of IDIOT!!!! :D
 
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